MOSES LAKE — Lacy Johnson said her class in criminal justice at Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center helped her decide law enforcement would be a good career choice for her.

“We got to take down Mr. Ruffin,” she said. That’s class instructor Dave Ruffin, former Moses Lake police chief. (The video of that takedown went viral around school, said CB Tech director Christine Armstrong.) Christina Martin said she, like Lacy, learned that law enforcement is an attractive career path for her after attending the criminal justice class.

Alma Gonzalez, Othello, is in the professional medical careers class, and the experience she got there helped her decide nursing is the career for her, she said. She plans to apply to the nursing program at Big Bend Community College, and eventually go to a four-year college for a bachelor's in nursing, she added.

Alma, Christina and Lacy talked about their experiences with “career connected learning” during the Moses Lake portion of a statewide meeting on the subject. CB Tech was one of 26 sites to host the teleconference.

Qualifying for jobs and careers will require training and education after high school, Armstrong said. “When they (students) leave here, they still need more.” But not all jobs require a four-year degree – in fact, most don’t, she added.

High schools can help kids explore their options by letting them experiment with different career classes, Armstrong said. Washington was one of six states to receive a grant from the National Governors Association to work on a program to teach kids more about their post-high school options and what kind of training is needed for different careers.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.